BOOT Up Your Business: Why A Better Off Overall Test (BOOT) Isn’t Something You Should Leave for Later
Paying your employees “above award” rates or offering generous salaries does not automatically make your business compliant. This is where many businesses get caught out. The real question every leader needs to ask is this:
“Are my employees better off overall under this agreement than if they were simply covered by the relevant modern award?”
Why You Need to Organise a BOOT Now
The BOOT is the Fair Work Commission’s way of ensuring your enterprise agreement genuinely lifts conditions above the relevant award. Passing it is not just a compliance exercise. It protects your business from risk, prevents underpayments, and gives you certainty that your payroll practices stack up.
A failed BOOT can trigger back-pay obligations, audits, and costly legal headaches. A compliant agreement delivers confidence to your leadership team and trust to your workforce. FiveSeven helps you get there by reviewing agreements against award requirements, modelling realistic scenarios, and flagging gaps before they become liabilities.
Why One Size Does Not Fit All
Many pay structures fall over because employers assume a flat rate or a salary automatically covers everything. They rely on idealised rosters rather than the shifting, messy, real life patterns your people actually work. Nights, weekends, overtime, allowances, loadings: every detail counts.
FiveSeven specialises in award alignment and role mapping so you know every position is classified correctly and every entitlement lands where it should. That clarity is what turns a risky pay setup into a compliant one.
When Was the Last Time You Compared Your Agreements to The Award?
Recent high-profile disputes involving Coles and Woolworths show just how costly miscalculations can be. Even agreements with above-award base rates fell short once penalty rates and allowances were reduced. Employees ended up worse off. Underpayments followed. Enforcement action arrived shortly after.
This same pattern occurs in smaller businesses more often than many leaders realise. FiveSeven’s historical pay audits help uncover issues that may already exist so you can fix problems early and avoid repeating them.
How To Approach A BOOT Like A Pro
Run the numbers against real-world shifts
Don’t model perfect rosters. Include nights, weekends, overtime and irregular hours. Only realistic modelling can show whether employees are genuinely better off overall. This is a core part of FiveSeven’s BOOT assessments.Don’t assume a higher base rate fixes everything
If your agreement falls short, a simple pay bump may not solve the problem. You may need targeted loadings, allowances or revised terms. FiveSeven provides recommendations and modelling that make those decisions straightforward.Get the right support and save time
BOOT compliance is complex. Mistakes can be expensive. FiveSeven works with you to map classifications, align awards, analyse rosters & payroll data, and test every scenario so you can operate confidently and compliantly.
Take Action Before Trouble Hits
Don’t wait for an audit, employee complaint, or a Fair Work visit to reveal gaps. A proactive BOOT review is a strategic safeguard that protects your business, your people, and your reputation.
By validating your agreements now, you ensure compliance, strengthen trust across your workforce, and remove the guesswork from payroll. When employees feel fairly treated and your agreements are solid, everyone wins. FiveSeven is here to make that process clear, accurate, and future proof.
